Outdooring Blogs

Most people do crafts and have hobbies to fill their down time. Crafts can ease stress and help you have some you time. There is no rush when making crafts, you can do them at your own pace. The first step is finding a craft you enjoy doing and to pursue it. If you get good enough or make enough crafts you can turn them into a profit. Most females and some make love homemade things. Anything that comes from the heart is more cherished than a store-bought item. This is why crafts can make excellent gifts because they are made from the heart. Do you like homemade items over store bought?

How to pick a craft I can do?

There are so many different types of crafts. You can get many ideas from visiting websites like Etsy or searching google for craft ideas. If you really want to explore some options in person, you can always go to craft shows. Most people who make crafts (or vendors if they are selling their crafts) are more than willing to explain how they got started. The first thing is finding something you enjoy doing, especially as a hobby. Some people like making things out of wood, metal, or even glass. It’s okay to choose something that someone else makes too. If you are trying to be unique you can always try to make stuff out of different materials like cork or Styrofoam. Playing around and just trying to make stuff with it is the first step. For me I really enjoy cutting stained-glass and doing a mosaic style with it. What is something you always wanted to make?

The stress of mastering my craft.

Honestly there should be no stress when it comes to crafts. This is your time to slow down and have your time. Take your time and practice with your craft material. Not everything is going to be one hundred percent perfect. The flaws are what makes the craft your work. If it was running down an assembly line or bought from a store, then we might want it perfect. The more you practice with making your crafts the better they will turn out. You will learn the little tricks on mastering how you make your craft. Practice makes perfect!

Looking to sell my crafts.

This one can be tricky and can be discouraging but don’t be discouraged. I have been to many craft shows, some I didn’t sell a single item and others I could barely keep up with the sales. The first thing is to think about how you want to sell your crafts. Whether over a website, at a craft show, or in a craft store. A website and craft show are kind of self-explanatory but what is a craft store. A craft store is a physical store that sells different vendor crafts all year round. Just note it’s the vendors (or craft makers) job to stock all crafts.

Fees versus profits.

When it comes to fees there are almost always some sort of fees or cost associated with selling your crafts. Craft shows can range from free all the way up to thousands of dollars. The free craft shows as well as the more expensive craft shows can sometimes still have fees such as table and chairs. Some other fees can include parking, craft show space, electricity and advertisement. Some craft shows will do a general advertising campaign to bring people in. Also, the more you pay doesn’t always mean the better show but most of the time it is. I remember my first expensive craft show I participated in was two hundred and fifty dollars for four hours. I have my own chairs and tables, so I saved about fifty dollars there. I thankfully profited way more than I was expecting so that was a successful show. Websites whether you are using Etsy, your own personal website or some other site all have fees. They sometimes will charge you a percentage of what you sell the crafts for. Others may charge you a listing fee per craft or item. When it comes to how much to sell your craft, start off low until your name and crafts get known. You want to cover minimum the cost to make it (this does not include labor) and maybe a couple of dollars (literally) to cover listing fees or craft show fees.

How to enhance my sales.

There are many ways that are cheap or low cost to you to enhance your sales. Start off by free advertising such as posting on Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram. Make your spot stand out over the others. The above picture is my old craft show setup. Obviously now I have changed the name to Outdooring. Having lots of products or items, I would always try to bring about three thousand dollars’ worth of crafts (if I was to sell every piece) to give a wide selection. Spread stuff out so it’s not all on top of each other but also where it’s not looking like its bare and you are trying to cover space. Dress casual, make sure you don’t dress over to the top where you seem like a sleezy used car salesman but not raggedy clothing where you look desperate to sell something. Smile and have fun. People are more likely willing to stop by if you seem like you are having fun and a positive attitude.

Failing!

You will fail when you try to sell your crafts. Do not get discouraged. At different times of the year your crafts might sell better than others. Also, different areas will impact on your sales. I have been put into areas of the building that had low traffic. I also been in cities that didn’t want to go near my stand because there assumption was stained glass is expensive and we cannot afford that (I heard more than one person say this and yet at the time my cheapest craft was three dollars (I was taking a loss but trying to get other there)), again both these are not my fault it is just the area I was in. So don’t give up on your crafts. If you think your crafts are not good enough, I will tell you false again. One craft I think is horrible is the above rooster but for some reason I have sold two of them. I think it’s one of the worst crafts I make, but some people like it and I still enjoy making it.

So, conclusion!

If you want to get into making crafts, I say go for it. Your work will be one of a kind. They will make great gifts or be great to be around your own home. Have fun, don’t stress what people will think about it. This is your thing and that is all that matters. When your inventory builds up enough and people like your work take a chance and try to sell it. Selling your crafts can be stressful especially if you are worried about having enough items and making some sort of profit. Every craft show I go to I always plan on the money I spent on the show is the money that is just a loss and I do not worry making it back. If I am lucky hopefully, I can sell one craft item and that will be a success. I have done custom orders for people but be careful not to back yourself up with too much work or promises you cannot keep. But always remember to have fun! Have fun making them. Have fun selling them when you get to that point. Talk to other crafters / vendors and get some inside tips and tricks. A question is always worth asking. The worst thing is they will answer no or ignore you.

What is something you are good at making?

For questions or comments post below.